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Leaders from neighborhoods throughout the Chicago region agree that more state transportation dollars should be spent on biking and walking projects.

Active Trans has called upon the next Illinois governor and general assembly to commit to spending a fair share of state transportation dollars for a new, dedicated Bike Walk Fund of $50 million per year, which is only about 2 percent of transportation capital spending at the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT).

Currently, the state spends very little of its own money on biking and walking projects that promote healthy, sustainable and equitable communities.

Add your name to our petition to the next governor and state assembly.

Chicagoland’s new regional plan, called “ON TO 2050,” has plenty of good ideas on paper to tackle the problem of too many cars and traffic crashes, but it lacks the mechanisms, funding and leadership to actually implement a new mobility future and move away from the car-centric status quo.

The plan was prepared and approved by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP), which is run by a collection of committees comprised of representatives of local, state, regional and federal governments.

Previous regional plans have laid out similar goals, but a recent analysis by Active Trans shows the region is just as car dependent today as it was in 1980. Moreover, driving has increased four times faster than the...

Longtime bicycling advocate Terry Witt is leading the charge to fill in a significant regional trail gap through the Village of Bartlett.

Now he’s created a petition and needs your help collecting 1,000 signatures.

Terry (pictured) grew up in the northwest suburbs and now resides in Bartlett. His enthusiasm for biking was originally sparked by his adult son’s love for riding. “I started riding at age 55 with my son and didn’t stop!”

Upon retirement and with a newfound love of riding his bike, Terry began working for Spin Doctor Cyclewerks in Bartlett as their director of advocacy. He attended Active Trans’ Bike Walk Every Town suburban advocacy training last fall and has decided to focus his...

Despite endless media coverage about the dangers of distracted walking, a new analysis shows only a small fraction of the pedestrians struck by cars in Illinois were using a cell phone.

From 2013 to 2016 in Illinois, less than 2 percent of pedestrians hit by cars were using cell phones at the time of the crash.

Let’s stop blaming victims and focus on the real problem.

Many pedestrians involved in crashes were legally crossing the street in a crosswalk, and most often the primary and secondary causes of the crash are related to driver behavior. Speeding and failure to stop for pedestrians are the most common factors.

Active Trans conducted this analysis using the most recent publicly...

The Chicago Park District’s design for separate biking and walking paths on the Lakefront Trail between Ardmore and Montrose addresses a major safety issue by redirecting cyclists away from street crossings where cars funnel into and out of the park.

However, what this busy trail really needs and deserves is to eliminate street crossings altogether with ramps, underpasses or street closures so that everyone can enjoy the trail entirely car-free. This would also allow the bike path to revert to its original alignment closer to Lake Shore Drive.

The park district is in the final stages of a two-year process to create separate paths for people biking and people walking along all 18 miles of the Lakefront Trail. Construction on the Ardmore to Montrose segment was finished in...

Each year people throughout Illinois are discovering walking and biking as options for every day transportation, unleashing health, environmental, and economic benefits in communities across the state.

Despite this growth, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) invests very few state dollars on infrastructure projects to improve conditions for walking and biking.

Meanwhile, vast amounts of IDOT funds pour into road projects that benefit drivers and often lead to more congestion, pollution and inequity.

We call upon the next Illinois Governor and General Assembly to commit to spending a fair share of state transportation dollars for a new, dedicated Bike Walk Fund of $50 million per year, which is only about 2% of transportation capital spending at IDOT....

Active Trans’ Kids on Wheels mobile bike fleets once again traveled the region this summer to provide on-bike education opportunities for youth.

Since 2013, these two 25-foot cargo trailers have trekked hundreds of miles and served thousands of kids in dozens of communities, offering the opportunity for students to learn valuable riding skills and techniques. It’s an especially important resource for communities where kids and families may not be able to afford to own a bike of their own.

This season, Active Trans worked with partner organizations to bring the Kids on Wheels caravan to communities from the northern suburbs to the Southland, in addition to City of Chicago neighborhoods.

The season kicked off in May, with Northbrook School District 28 borrowing a...

With many threats and opportunities looming in Washington, D.C., decisions by the next U.S. Congress will shape the future of biking, walking and public transit in the Chicago region for years to come.

To educate candidates and voters about federal transportation priorities for the next Congress, Active Trans partnered with the League of American Bicyclists on a seven-question candidate questionnaire.

The questionnaire was sent to all candidates in the Chicago region that will appear on the November ballot.

Earlier this year at the National Bike Summit Active Trans joined other advocates in meetings with members of Congress on Capitol Hill about the need to prioritize safety in federally funded transportation projects and invest in multimodal projects as part of...